Tekken TAG Tournament (PS2)

Namco's Tekken series is one of the most popular, and well done series of fighting games ever. These games always had excellent graphics, lots of hidden fighters to unlock, and there was usually a hidden mode of play as well. Of course, I guess one would come to expect that kind of quality from the people who brought us the legendary Soul Caliber. That game was, along with NFL2K, the hit of the Dreamcast launch. Well, I'm happy to say that Namco hasn't disappointed their Sony owning fans either.

Tekken Tag has a good number of fighters. Just about every character that has ever appeared in the series can be found in this game. True, a lot of them have to be unlocked first through gameplay, but they're all there. That includes the boss characters from the previous games as well. That's a pretty good number of different tag team combinations to choose from.

The series has always featured top notch graphics. And this game continues in the same mold. It's impressive to see a launch title that really shows what a new system is capable of, but then again, Namco did the same thing with Soul Caliber, didn't they? One look at this game will make one wonder what games will look like once developers get some more time with the system.

Just about everything in this game is clean and moves along well. Backgrounds are some of the best I've seen in a fighting game. Yes, they even rival those of Soul Caliber. There's quite a bit of movement in most of them, whether it's cheering spectators, helicopters, or just a waterfall, it all comes across crisp and life-like. There are also some really excellent shadow effects in some of the indoor stages. Much work was put into the graphics package, and it shows.

Same goes for the fighters. Very nicely done. You can see things like the movement of hair and clothing. Each combatant moves smoothly, and flashes of light highlight some of their moves. The fighters return with their complete wardrobes from the earlier games intact, as well as some new costumes. Some of the outfits do need to be unlocked first. Everything is highly detailed, from Julia's cowboy boots, to Paul's scraggly beard.

Everything seems to move along at a steady rate. Even with all that's been put into the game's graphics, there is really no slowdown at all. Altogether, I have to say that there should be no complaints with the graphic package.

The easiest way to describe the controls is, Tekken is Tekken. There is really nothing new here to speak of(except of course the tagging in and out). Not that this is a bad thing. If you've played any of the previous games you can pick this one up and jump right in. The kick and punch buttons(two each)are still the same, throws are still performed the same way, and all of the movements are the same. The controls are responsive. If you're new to the series, don't worry, there's a customizable training mode for you to get used to the controller and the moves.

Stringing combos is still the key. While the basic ones are easy enough, some will require some nimble fingers. Something I think all fighting game fans are well used to. Tagging in and out is a snap. Movements come off easily. And the throws are easy once you get the buttons down. All in all, no real problems here.

About the movement. You're still limited to forward, backwards, and that circling side-step. I would have liked to have seen the full range of 3D movement found in Soul Caliber, or DOA2. Once again, there's nothing wrong with the system as is. That was just my preference.

The series(at least in my opinion)has always had decent sounds to it. Tekken Tag continues the trend. Each stage has it's own music. I have to say that this is some of the better music I've heard in a fighting game. The opening theme is an extremely catchy piece. You also have the usual sound effects, blows landing and the occasional yelp from a fighter when they get hit. Of course Anna and Nina's laugh remains, hey, does Anna sound a lot like Ivy? Or are my ears going bad? Overall, the sound package is good. I doubt too many people will be turning the volume off.

Gameplay remains true to it's roots. Pretty much fast and furious. Lots of combos to learn and use. Tekken has always been an easy fighter to pick up and play, but a hard one to master. You have multiple difficulty settings to help you through the learning process. You also have a good number of modes to battle in. Of course the new feature, as the name implies, is tagging in and out.

Arcade is the standard game. Choose any two fighters and take on the CPU in seven matches, after which you fight the end boss. Players can tag in and out at will, and the fighter not engaged will regain some health while on the sidelines. Here is where you'll unlock the game's secrets(most of them). If you lose you can change characters and continue.

Time Attack, your basic game again. Only this time you're trying to clear the game in the fastest time. You can't change characters in this mode.

Survival, just what it implies. You keep on fighting until you lose. Between each fight you regain some health. These are one round battles(everything else is two out of three)and you can't continue. Once you lose, that's it.

If the earlier games were more to your liking, give One-on-One mode a try. Kind of like playing the old Tekken games, with the new graphics.

One of my personal favorites is Team Battle. Set the number of fighters on a team and battle it out until only one team has anyone left. I've always found this to be a good mode to work on moves for a few different fighters all at the same time.

This game's hidden extra game is Tekken Bowl. Pick your two keglers and take aim at pins that look like little gold statues of Heihachi. Once you unlock this game it becomes pretty habit forming. Your first character will always throw for the strikes, while the second tries to convert the spares. If you've ever played a bowling video game, this one will come easy to you. Hint: Michelle is an excellent lead off bowler.

Once unlocked, you can watch the game's endings(yes, they're still short and make little or no sense)in Theatre mode. You do have to finish the game with a fighter(as your first one selected)first to be able to watch their ending here. There's also a Gallery where you can save images to your memory card, like the one found in DOA2. I can't say anything about how this works because I've never tried it.

Altogether, not a bad title. In fact, it's a good one. True, I prefer the more free-flowing, full-3D movement of DOA2, but I enjoy this game as well. I really think it's up to the individual gamer to decide which game to go with. In my book, you can't really go wrong with either.

Price: £35 - jungle.com